Individual dress-form



May 22, 1945. D. G. PATTEN INDIVIDUAL DRESS-FORM Filed Nov. 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fly 1W7] x i 75% May22, 1945.

D. s. PATT EN 2,376,553

INDIVIDUAL DRESS-FORM 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Nov, 18, 1943 ATTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1945 units o STAT Es PArNrr o-F Fro E.

INDIVIDUAL DRESS-FORM Dorathy G: Patten, Milwaukee, Wis: Application November 18,1943,-,'Serial;-l\ o. 510,172

1 My: invention refers to individual: dress-forms, and' it! has for? its: object: to provide; a simple, economical; and: durable article; molded upon the torsolo-f human body in a successionof steps embodying aniinner fabric vest. base in conjunction with bracing meansincluding the, application of innerv and outer layers of l gummed tape; having a-finishing fabriccover assembled; from pattern panels; the same. being seamed together;

A further object: of myinvention resides in a plOCESsii for: building. the dress-form in. such a simpleumanner that'the same may readily 'be accomplished'fiby'thoseunskilled in the art*,.whereby individual home people may be supplied with dress-forms, which are. a replica; of: each. person, for use in home' dressmaking.

From: a marketingstandpoint; Itproyide sets: of

the various articles necessary. in the construction of the: dress-dorm; to wit, the fabric, vest, rollsofigummed tape, .and patternsior an outer cover," with a folder; explaining; the method. or process of construction, all contained; in an envelope for distribution.

With the: above and. other minor objects in View, the invention consists in certaimpeculiarities of construction and COmbiHEti'OIIPOf parts; asazwill be hereinafter set forth with reference to theaccompanyingdrawings: and subsequently claimed; i l Iri-Lthe drawings:

Figure :1 representsafront, face View of acornpleted dress form embodying the features ofmy invention-with parts. broken awaywo more clearly illustrate structural details."

Figure 2 'isla-side, elevational view of-theisamei Figure 2a is a face view of a life model having fitted thereto a fab-ric vest illustrating the first step in the process for building up the dressform.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic, front view of the base vest with initial gummed tape.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the manner of applying the first skeleton layer of gummed tape. V

Figure 5 is a rear view of the same.

Figure 6 is a magnified fragmentary view illustrating the manner of applying vertical and diagonal groups of tapes.

Figure '7 isa front face view illustrating the manner of applying a diagonal layer of tape spirally wound about the first skeleton layer.

Figure 8 illustrates the taped form or shell separated longitudinally for removal from the body of the model.

Figure 9 is a similar view illustrating the form sections adhesively securediat their front meeting edgesbyqlengthwisevtapes.

Figure 10 is a magnified cross sectional view of t the. taped joint between: the separable shell sections; I

Figures 11 and 12 illustrate. face views-sot the front. and back pattern panels of the outer cover of the dress-form.

Figures 13 and14a illustrate side-front and; side-- back panels: of. the? pattern for the. shell cover.

Referring bycharacters to the drawings,v 13indicates. a fabric. vestl fitted tightly 'tothe torso: of a. model, as: indicated in-Figure. 2a.. As shown in Figure 3; the: first step in the" development of: the dress-form is tdinsert centrally disposed lengthwisegummed tapestripsZ at the front and back of the: vest .and a: singlesimilar-waist strip or tape 32- As indicated; particularly in Figures 4 and 6, the front andzbaclcistripspr tapes 2 have applied thereto; in opposite. directions, a group of overlapped lengthwise: strips 4, which extend from the'neck of -the vest tothe bottorn of the same. The hipline isth'en: reinforced by overlapped lengthwise disposed: strips. 5; which completely cover. 'the: hip.line'.- The-crown or shoulders, as indicatedtain Figures-i3. and 5, are then reinforced by'groupsof overlapped tapes 6 --6-, which diag onally follow: the shoulder line: and groups of over-' lappedatapes T--1'C011Stltl1ting the bust reinforcementszextend'obliquely from the lengthwise front strips; backwardlyunderthe arms andv terminate atithe junctionwith' the rear group 4- of lengthwise strips; As' shown in'Figure 5, the space between the group of shoulder tapes and bust tape; attthe'back;.may be: filled in withvertical patches: of: overlapped vgummed strips 8"-8r It is-understood; that the gummed strips, being moistwhenplaced uponthe vest, will adhere thereto and quickly dry. Hence, after the first layer of strips, which may be termed a skeleton layer, is completed, a second or reinforcing layer of gummed tapes is positioned over the first layer. It should be further understood that in positioning the strips, in the event that, due to curves, etc., in the body, the strips tend to wrinkle or roughen at any point, the strip may be severed and so on throughout the entire operation.

As best shown in Figure 7, the second, or reinforcing tape cover may quickly be applied by.

starting a diagonal group of strips 9 about one shoulder of the shell, which strips are continuously wound downwardly and spirally to the bottom of the vest and a second group of overlapping strips Il) may start from the back of the opposite shoulder and wound spirally and downwardly in the same direction as the first group, whereby the vest is completely reinforced by a tape cover and it is understood that the tapes,

while they continue downwardly, may be broken' and extended from time to time in the winding process.

When the reinforcing strip layer is completed, the Vest is, more or less, rigid due to the fact that the layers applied have dried out thoroughly and in order to remove the shell from the torso of the model, said shell is longitudinally severed from top to bottom, both front and back upon the vertical line of the tapes 2-2, whereby the severed shell sections are separated, as indicated in Figure 8 of the drawings.

In practice the shell sections may then be butted together and the hip, waist line, and bust line are measured to check the corresponding dimensions of the model. Should the dimensions be slightly larger than those-of the model, the vertical edges of said shell sections may be trimmed down to reconcile the discrepancies in measurements. Thereafter the shell sections are permanently secured together at their meeting edges by strips of longitudinally disposed tape H), which lap said edges.

After the dress-form i complete, as indicated in Figure 9, it is subjected to one or more coatings of shellac to insure rigidity.

As indicated in Figure 9, the neck, armholes, and bottom edges of the shell are then suitably finished by tapes H, l2-I2, and I3. To complete the dress-form, it then has fitted thereto a fabric cover A, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which cover is an essential finishing element, whereby the dress parts to be draped thereon are smoothly applied. The cover is developed from the patterns illustrated in Figures 11 to 14 of the drawings, and said cover comprises a front panel I4, companion side-front panels l5--l5, companion side-back panels l6l6, and a pair of back panels N. All of the panels are permanently secured by seams l8l8 and the seam laps, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2, are folded back and smoothly pressed. The back center seam is left open, whereby the cover is adjusted and snugly fitted to the shell and thereafter said back seam may be pinned or secured by stitching.

The dress-form, as indicated by dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, may then be mounted upon a stand having a head fitted in the top of the shell and suitable legs fitted in the bottom. As

said parts form no invention, they are not illus- I claim:

1. The process for molding an individual body dress-form consisting of enveloping the human torso with a woven vest, 'applying lengthwise folded lapped gummed tapes to the same and groups of bust tapes extending from the front to the back, thereafter applying a complete second layer of gummed tapes extending spirally from the top of the vest to the bottom, shellacing the last mentioned layer and encasing the same in a fabric cover comprising front and rear panels matched with side-front and side-back panels seamed together.

2. The process for molding an individual body dress-form consisting of enveloping the human torso with a woven vest, initially applying lengthwise central back and front adhesive tapes thereto, encircling the waist line with a similar tape, applying a group of overlapped lengthwise tapes upon opposite sides of the back and front central tapes, completing the encirclement of the torso from the waist line down with overlapped lengthwise tapes, crowning the shoulders of the vest with overlapped tapes, diagonally winding groups of overlapped tapes from the front group of lengthwise tapes about the bust, under the arms, and terminating at the back group of lengthwise tapes, to complete a skeleton base reinforcement for the vest, encasing the skeleton base reinforcements with spirally Wound overlapped tapes starting in the back and front over groups of the shoulder tapes and diagonally winding downwardly to the bottom of the vest, whereby a light stiff shell is developed, slitting the shell back and front lengthwise upon a line intersecting the initial central tapes, sealing the shell sections together, at the front and rear central lines by lengthwise strips overlapping the severed shell edges, forming a cover jacket for said shell from front and rear panels of fabric matched with side-front and side-back panels and seaming the panels together.

3. The process for molding individual-body dress forms, consisting of enveloping the human torso with a vest, applying a group of lapped gum tapes to the back and front lengthwise from the bottom of the vest to the neck, filling in from the waistline to the bottom of the vest lapped gum strips from the said front and back groups to envelop that portion of the vest about the hips, adding groups of bust tapes extending diagonally from the front to the back, thereafter applying a complete second layer of gummed tapes extending spirally from the top of the vest to the bottom, and encasing the same in a fabric cover.

DORATHY G. PA'ITEN. 

